Hi fellow Dopers, particularly ones from NYC. I’ll be spending my two weeks vacation there, starting next week. Since it’s my first time in New York (and first time in US), do you have any tips? What to see? What to eat? What to avoid? I’ll be staying on Staten Island, but I’m not afraid of traveling within reasonable distance to see interesting places. Any suggestions?
Well, I hear they have some pretty good call girls over there…
My friend and I were there for a long weekend and enjoyed doing some of the stereotypical tourist stuff. Empire State Building, United Nations tour. We also toured the Museum of Sex (which really should have a better gift shop) and had brunch at the Algonquin Hotel (former home of the famed Algonquin Round Table) along with catching a couple of Broadway shows.
If you’re on Staten Island you’ll have to make kind of a trek to get anywhere - you’ll have to take the ferry to Manhattan and (unless you’re going somewhere at the very southern end of Manhattan) a significant subway trip after that, so I’d try to schedule it so you can do several things in each day.
I second Otto’s recommendation of The Algonquin, and I’d add some museums. My personal favorite is the Museum of Natural History (79th and Central Park West), but the Metropolitan Museum of Art (82nd at Fifth Avenue ) is also excellent.
Make your way through Central Park at least once. If you visit those museums you’ll be right in the area anyway. There are plenty of good places to eat there, too, although you should be warned it’s a pricy area.
I’m not from NYC but I’ve taken Spaniards to visit it.
Mom and Lilbro loved the trips on the double-decker touristy buses, even though Mom doesn’t understand a word of English. Oh wait - she understands “whisky”, “milkman” and “water.”
I second the American Museum of Natural History and The Metropolitan Musuem of Art. I would also recommend the Museum of the City of New York. Excellent exhibits with a 20 minute movie detailing the history of New York from before it was populated with people up through modern day.
Try to take in at least one Broadway show! I recommend Avenue Q if you are with adults or possibly the Lion King if you are bringing children. Also keep in mind that RENT will be ending in June so if you ever wanted to see the show this might be your last chance to do so.
The American Museum of Natural History is the greatest thing ever. DINOSAUR SKELETONS! (And fossilized prehistoric mollusks and stuff but also DINOSAURS!)
It’s also right next door to the Hayden Planetarium, which is all kinds of awesome by itself, although the last time I went there was back when Geordi LaForge was doing the voiceover.
Nice spring weather is right around the corner. A good time of year to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and take in the view.
Also, St Patrick’s Cathedral is worth a look even for non-Catholics. Beautiful architecture and stained glass and it is free to visit (they do have donation boxes around though) so it is a nice way to spend half an hour or so.
Like Otto said, hit some tourist spots. Empire State, Statue of Liberty, Chinatown, Little Italy, Times Square, etc… You can get to most of them in just a few days. You can see quite a bit of NY in under 2 weeks.
And have some New York pizza!
Go to the second avenue deli and eat a pastrami sandwich! Walk across the brooklyn bridge and wait in line for Grimaldi’s pizza. Jacques Torres has a chocolate shop around the corner were you can get great spicy hot chocolate, too. The Strand bookstore is worth a walk-through. You can visit Madame Toussau’s (sp?) wax museum. There’s a Jack Kerouac exhibit at the NY Public Library building right now. You can go to the Apple Store in soho and play with the macbook air. Eat pinkberry yogurt on the UWS, it’s the latest trend. Also go the UWS and eat a bagel from H&H. Visit the Intrepid Museum- it’s awesome.
The antiquated Hayden Planetarium has been replaced (or added onto?) by the Rose Center for Earth and Space, and it is awesome, especially experiencing the Big Bang, the solar system models, and the spiral walkway showing the history of the universe (or the earth, I forget which).
You might want to also take the Circle Line cruise around Manhattan or an (expensive) carriage ride in Central Park.
And don’t forget Rockefeller Center and the Statue of Liberty and Ground Zero.
There is nothing to see at ‘Ground Zero’. It is a big construction site, nothing more, and the neighborhood is not interesting.
Take in a Ranger game, or if you have transportation, a New Jersey Devils game. Maybe take in a NY Knicks game, but understand that the Knicks are really bad.
And like I tell every other tourist who asks, between the hours of 7:30am to 9:00am, stay off my damn streets!
The whole universe. There’s also the somewhat mind-altering but hard to explain series of models involving the Hayden Sphere.
I’ll second (or third or whatever) the Museum of Natural History, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Museum of the city of New York. Also, the Cloisters, if you like Medieval European stuff. Wandering around Central Park should be nice this time of year. The Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, and New York Aquarium are all well worth seeing. Definitely consider going out see live music in one of the panoply of small venues. You might want to pick up a Zagat restaurant guide, New York is a great food city.
The 2nd Ave Deli is now a Chase bank. Boo.
Even as an adult, I love going to the Bronx Zoo. Tiger feedings twice a day!
And Astroland at Coney Island is still intact… although not for much longer. It’s fun, but sketchy fun. You’ll have a great day but might come home with Hep C. What’s more New York than that?
I’d say start out on your first visit with a ferry tour. You’ll get a great view of the statue of liberty (Much better than actually going TO the statue of liberty and more fun IMHO), and it’ll help you build a mental map of the island and it’s buildings. You might even spot somehting you may want to take a closer look at once you get back. It’s faster to get to the sight seeing ferries from where I live (near hoboken), but you’re just a bus ride away from the lower west side docks after the ferry from Staten Island to manhattan.
Of course, as everyone else mentioned, the Central park is a must see, and you can include trips to the planetarium and both the metropolitan museum of art and the museum of natural history. Lots of cafes and restaurants there to enjoy as well. It’s pricey, but there’s also the weak dollar to consider.
There’s the cloisters on the upper west side, but you’re from europe you probably don’t want to see more medieval European stuff. Don’t forget to check out the village and catch a broadway show.
I’d say pick a section of manhattan, look for possible sites of interest and just spend the day walking it. The architecture, the people, the food, it’s all an experience.
The Deli did reopen somewhere else, though. I can’t remember where it is now.
Confusingly, it’s now on 33rd St, between Lexington and Third Avenues, but still called the 2nd Avenue Deli. The recent NYTimes review is here.
I always recommend taking the A to the first stop in Brooklyn, then walking over the Brooklyn Bridge towards Manhattan. Pedestrians get their own walking level, above the cars, and if you have a good weather day, it’s quite gorgeous.
The Cloisters aren’t on the Upper West Side, unless you mean the extremely UWS. They’re in Fort Tryon Park, at what would be around 200th St. if there were streets in the park. To me, the UWS stops somewhere around 96th.
Just stay away from Staten Island.
Oops.
My mother managed to escape 50 years ago. Thankfully there aren’t any close relatives left so we don’t have to visit anymore. I hate that place. Stay in Manhatten as much as possible.
The Staten Island Ferry is a pretty cool ride with a good view.
Lots of good things mentioned.
I second the advice to see some theater; it is one of the essential parts of NYC. But if you care at all about theater, go to something off-broadway. The broadway stuff is mostly the overpriced, stale equivalent of Hollywood movies whereas the off-broadway stuff is often edgy and interesting.
The Brooklyn Botantical gardens are quite nice if the weather is good.
Katz deli is a nice treat.
Coney island is definitely worth a visit. The boardwalk area also has really good Russian food.
And remember, since you’re spending dollars, everything is cheap! 